


Brave with Ribbons

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-02-18
Updated: 2008-02-18
Packaged: 2017-10-12 05:41:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/121417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severus receives an unexpected parcel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brave with Ribbons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [juniperus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/juniperus/gifts).



When the owl dropped the parcel on his plate at breakfast, Severus looked at it with all the enthusiasm he would normally reserve for writing a three-foot essay on the Goblin Wars. It appeared innocuous enough from the outside, but his mother hadn't written that she was sending him anything, and he couldn't imagine that anyone else would, which meant that this was either a mistake or some sort of practical joke. Probably the latter, since his name was written across the brown paper in firm dark letters in handwriting he did not recognize.

Gingerly he opened it, to find inside a second layer of wrapping, this time white paper tied with red ribbons. Severus kept his face impassive, ignoring the taunts of Mosier further along the table. "Snape has a girlfriend! Did she send you her knickers, huh?"

It _could_ be from Lily, he supposed, but she would have put her name on it, and there was no message at all. He unknotted the ribbon and tore open the paper to reveal half-a-dozen bottles and jars and packets, each carefully labeled as containing various potions ingredients. They were all things that he was nearly out of in his own kit, and in O.W.L. year, being short could become a real problem. Clearly someone had been watching him closely, but who...?

Suspicion flashed through him. It took him an effort of will not to turn and stare at the Gryffindor table. Lupin. It must be. He'd seen the other boy looking at him all autumn, and he had done some looking back, he admitted. It would be just like Lupin to do something like this, thinking it romantic.

Hastily stuffing everything into his satchel, Severus rose. Slytherin had Charms in fifteen minutes, and he needed to use the boys' loo first.

He was washing his hands when the door opened and Lupin slipped inside. He glanced at the stalls and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Severus shook his head. There was no one else in the room. Lupin's mouth relaxed into a smile.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Severus's voice sounded unnaturally loud in the stillness.

Lupin's face went pink, but he nodded. "How did you guess?"

"I'm not an idiot, you know." Severus refrained from rolling his eyes. "Thank you," he added.

"You're welcome." Lupin was still blushing. "I... I wondered if you'd like to meet me later? Behind the gamekeeper's hut?" he asked in a rush.

If anyone saw them together... Severus didn't like to think about what Lupin's bully-boy friends might do, but nevertheless he heard himself saying, "I have Transfiguration until four o'clock."

"After that?"

Just at that moment two third-year Hufflepuffs came in. Severus nodded quickly, grabbed his satchel, and hurried out, sure that he could feel Lupin's eyes following him.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for juniperus at the request of a_d_medievalist, who suggested Snupin, prompt "ribbon." Title unashamedly poached from Dickens' A Christmas Carol.


End file.
